Good news for Chicago's curious youngsters: the One Lawndale Children’s Discovery Center is an in-the-works children's museum that will offer kiddos ages 5 and younger a whopping 25,000-square-feet of space to explore, play in and learn through interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits.
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Located at 3140 W. Ogden Avenue in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, the entertaining yet educational venue will promote early childhood learning subjects, particularly focusing on STEAM (that's science, technology, engineering, art and math) education, as well as social-emotional learning, environmental awareness and healthcare topics, reports Block Club Chicago.
Per the center's website, the museum's mission is "to serve as a vibrant catalyst for positive generational change, fostering early childhood health and development through the transformative power of play."
The space will feature a number of different exhibits, including a "Baby Blooms" area dedicated to infants and toddlers, complete with sensory walls and a bird-song soundtrack; a mock "Rainbow Market" grocery store and pretend "Happy Hearts" doctor's office; and a play planting station that will allow young visitors to explore gardening by tending to Velcro fruits and vegetables.
The center will also feature 10,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit space where visitors can further learn about the environment and how best to care for it.
A standout feature of the "Nature's Playground" outdoor area will be the Hive Climber, a towering hexagonal structure that "symbolizes the bridging of communities," according to the museum's Instagram. The playground will also feature a water works station, a campsite and a community teaching garden where attendees can interact with chicken and bees, learn about urban farming and pick their own produce.
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One neat part of the project is that actual children are serving as an advisory council in the building and development of the physical center and its programming. A group of teens and pre-teens from the North Lawndale and Little Village areas have brainstormed ideas and provided feedback to the museum organizers. They have even been seen helping with design, building sustainable furniture for the Discovery Center.
Speaking of building, construction on the One Lawndale Children’s Discovery Center is reportedly slated to begin later this year, with an opening projected for 2027.